NS Power to text customers during outages
Posted Oct 6, 2014 04:48:38 PM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
HALIFAX – Nova Scotia’s public utilities regulator says Nova Scotia Power will adopt new measures to prevent a recurrence of the communication snafus that happened after post-tropical storm Arthur caused widespread power outages in July.
The province’s Utility and Review Board says the utility company has agreed to most of its 32 ideas, including a recommendation that would see Nova Scotia Power send text messages to customers experiencing outages.
As well, the board says the company will overhaul its automated telephone line to provide individualized outage restoration times to callers.
The board is also calling for a revamped interactive outage website map that won’t crash when a major storm moves in and Internet traffic goes up.
Post-tropical storm Arthur hit the province on July 5, leaving about 245,000 customers without power, some of them for up to eight days.
The utility faced intense criticism after its outage website crashed, its customer service phone lines were jammed and customers were repeatedly given erroneous information about when power would be restored.
